More Coverage

Related Stories

Toronto's Rebecca Lee-Bentham was showcasing on Thursday her new and colourful Galvin Green duds that she gets as part of a new apparel deal, but it was just a quick stop before heading down under the following day.

The co-medalist at last month's LPGA Tour qualifying school is scheduled to play the Australian Ladies Masters, which gets underway this Friday. She'll stick around Oz to also play the Women's Australian Open, which starts on Valentine's Day.

It's the start of a brand new season for Lee-Bentham, one that is full of new hope that she'll improve considerably over her rookie year on the LPGA Tour, but predicting the fortunes of a young player involves so many intangibles that it's next to impossible.

That, by no means, is a slight to a player's talent or work ethic, just recognition that a young person is finding her way in a new world. It happens faster for some than for others and Lee-Bentham has at times shown she is capable of rising to the challenge.

At the age of 19, she tied for ninth at Q-school, but struggled through a rookie year in which she missed the cut in 10 of 14 tour events to finish 134th on the money list.

Just as quickly as you might have been ready to write her off, she pulled a fast one. Six shots off the lead going into the final day of Q-school, Lee-Bentham shot a 67 to tie for first and regain full status.

"Being co-medallist at Q-school kind of assured me that I did work hard enough, that it wasn't just luck, so it's kind of showing me that it's all a process and it's all about moving forward," said the former Canadian Amateur champion.

With experience, that one important weapon that was missing from her arsenal last year, comes perspective and the reality is that she was in deep against the likes of Yani Tseng and Stacy Lewis, among others.

"Last year, to me, it was just a learning experience. Of course, I had expectations to do well, but in reality, I was still a teenager and just out of (University of Texas at Austin)," said Lee-Bentham. "I know it's a huge advantage knowing where I need to be and all the travel and knowing people out there, just knowing that they're all just human beings, not to be intimidated, so I think that will help me.

"Last year, it was tough just because I didn't know what to expect, I didn't do as well as I wanted to, but at the end of the year, I looked back and it was just one year. It wasn't a year that was going to make or break me. It was more just the process I learned from."

Despite the results, playing against the tour's best showed her the work that they put into their careers, not always paying off initially either. Still, they stayed committed over their personal rough patches and succeeded, which is motivation for Lee-Bentham.

For that reason, she says going directly to the LPGA Tour was better for her career than starting on the Symetra development tour.

"Last year, everything happened so quickly. I really didn't expect to make it on tour last year, so when I was there, I was a little bit star struck by them. I think knowing I played against them all year, I'm more used to it and more comfortable around them," she said.

"I talked to my dad about it too. I was like, 'So, did you really expect me to make it through?' and he said to be honest, first time through, he didn't expect me to make it," said Lee-Bentham. "They say the Symetra Tour is a good way to develop and I say, the LPGA is even a better step forward to help me develop.

"Making it to the LPGA was just a blessing on top of that, just to get that extra experience of actually being on that tour and experiencing everything," said Lee-Bentham.

FRITSCH ON FIRE

Sunday's 70 was only the fourth score in 11 rounds this season out of the 60s for Brad Fritsch of Manotick, Ont., who is setting himself up nicely for the first re-shuffle of the season that will get him into more events, an important factor in this shortened season ... TaylorMade is claiming it can give players as much as 27 extra yards with its adjustable RocketBallz Stage 2 driver and to put an exclamation mark on that claim, it treated visitors to the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando to a 27-yard submarine sandwich ... The proposed ban on anchored putting is not a done deal if you listen to comments made last week by PGA of America president Ted Bishop. In a recent survey done by the association of golf professionals, 63% of its members said it had serious concerns that such a ban might affect growth of the game ... The PGA also plans to do a survey of its members regarding the possibility of two sets of rules (bifurcation), one for professionals and another for amateurs ... PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem also said there is room for bifurcation.